The name Mazabuka originates from a Tonga local language word "kuzabuka" which means "To cross over the river".

It is believed that the name was coined after the Tonga people crossed the Kafue River near a place called Nanga during their migrations.

[5] During World War II, 50 Polish refugees escaping from German- and Soviet-occupied Poland, were admitted in Mazabuka in 1941.

While being on the Lusaka–Livingstone Road, Mazabuka is also connected to Lusaka in the north-east and Livingstone in the south-west by the Zambia Railways line.

[12] In September 2006 following a positive feasibility study, Albidon Limited of Australia obtained permits and approvals to mine Nickel in Mazabuka.

[14] In April 2007, then Zambian President, Levy Mwanawasa launched the Munali Nickel Project at a ground breaking ceremony.

The mine would be built and operated under the venture's special purpose vehicle Albidon Zambia Limited (AZL).

Although it is billed as a nickel project, Munali also contains commercial quantities of copper, cobalt and platinum group metals (PGMs).